With Thanksgiving approaching, I thought it might be interesting to look up the caloric value of my favorite Thanksgiving foods (though hopefully the results would not be too deterring for when the day and feast actually arrived).
The two websites that I found that listed Thanksgiving staples and their respective caloric values agreed, for the most part; the ones with two numbers and a dash are the ones that differed the most. These differences, I assume, must stem from variation in the preparation, for example, the amount of sugar added to the cranberry sauce or candied sweet potatoes, or the amount of butter added to the mashed potatoes.
Food: Calories:
3 c salad with diet dressing: 100
4 oz. dark meat turkey: 323
4. oz. white meat turkey: 180
½ c stuffing: 180 
½ c cranberry sauce: 190/110
½ c mashed potatoes: 150/95
½ c gravy: 150/100
½ c sautéed green beans: 50
½ c candied sweet potatoes: 150/210
1 dinner roll: 110/87
1 pat of butter: 45
1 piece of apple pie: 410
1 piece pumpkin pie: 180/316
½ c whipped cream: 75
½ c ice cream: 145
data from:
http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-thanksgiving-food-b362227
http://walking.about.com/library/cal/blthanksgivingcalories.htm
I have to admit that I am sort of unsure how much a half a cup of gravy actually is. In visualizing a ½ c measuring cup that seems like it might be a large serving, while a half a cup of mashed potatoes (one of my favorites) seems much more manageable. But, in spite of this, it is undeniable that Thanksgiving is about gorging yourself on delicious, fall foods while enjoying the company of your family and friends.
My environmental science class, however, has caused me to think about how excessive this is in comparison with the starvation throughout the world. While I am eating seconds of my aunt’s blackberry-peach pie and Jello casserole, most people around the world are surviving on simple cereal grains and starches.
Again, though I am not sure exactly how to compare these numeric values, I looked up the calories in some of these grains and starches. (Perhaps in the future I’ll investigate further this comparison, taking into account serving sizes etc.)
Food: Calories:
1 c raw cassava: 330
1 raw potato: 130-240 (depending on the size)
1 cooked potato: 138-161
1 c rice: 166-700 (depending on type and whether
cooked or not)
1 c wheat flour: 166-500
(data obtained using http://calorielab.com/index.html)
These graphs didn't translate quite as well as I'd hoped, but below is the address where I found them, so click on that to see them in greater detail. To sum up, however, the average amount of calories consumed in the following areas of the world, according to the Foreign Agricultural Service (under the US Department of Agriculture) are as follows:
United States: 3,654
European Union: 3, 394
North Africa: 3, 187
Sub-Saharan Africa: 2, 176
Developing Asia: 2, 648
Latin America & Caribbean: 2, 791
The most drastic difference in the charts is in the distribution of the source of caloric intake among the food group in different areas. In the United 
States and European Union grains (or "cereals") consist of only 1/4 of the daily diet, whereas for all the other areas the diet is between 37% and 62%.
http://www.fas.usda.gov/info/agexpo
rter/2000/Apr/diets.htm
In light of this, on Thanksgiving, where my personal intake of fats and oils and sweets rockets (as it does for most of the American population) my favorite holiday does seem excessive and unnecessary. Perhaps we would be better off sending this food (or the money spent on it) to another country as aid. This depressing thought about starving populations and excessive American consumption, however, cannot spoil my Thanksgiving. I don't mean to discount this issue, but Thanksgiving is about more than just eating a lot.
To me, Thanksgiving is very much about nature. I always spend it with my own family, extended family and family friends at the Shaw Nature Reserve. After our meal we head out for a hike through the prairie and the wetlands to the gravel bar where we have rock-skipping contests on the river. Thanksgiving, for me, would not be complete without this hike; when I think of Thanksgiving I feel the grinding stones under my tennis shoes, the whisper of dry leaves and the smell of campfires and cinnamon. And, the purpose of the holiday is to reflect on the blessings in life. One of the blessings I can count is the availability of this food on this day to me and my family. This year my aunt was kind enough to extend invitations to eight Americorps volunteers who are working at the Nature Reserve to join us for Thanksgiving dinner, which they otherwise might not have had. Though these volunteers aren't starving, this was a generous gesture on her part. I used to think that Thanksgiving was my favorite holiday because it wasn't about giving and receiving like so many other holidays are. But, I realize that it is about giving and receiving. It is about sharing love and affection and time. And, that cannot be boxed and sent overseas in an aid package.
